Rail

London's Luton Airport has welcomed the news that rail operator East Midlands Railway (EMR) is set to introduce a new half hourly non-stop service between London St Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway, the station serving the airport. The new service will be introduced as part of the May 2021 timetable change and is the first significant step towards a separately-branded ‘Luton Airport Express’ service. The service will operate using electric trains and run every 30 minutes between 06.00 and 22.00 (local time) daily, with additional late night and early morning services to serve departures from the airport.

The country's government has announced that from 14 February it will restrict the number of passengers permitted to travel domestically on long-distance trains and buses, in an effort to a curb a rise in infections from COVID-19 variants. Capacity will be limited to 50% if the journey is longer than 150 kilometres, and the measure will be in place until at least the end of May. Exceptions will be made for people who have already bought tickets.

The United States Transport Security Administration (TSA) has announced that passengers in the U.S. can now be fined for refusing to wear face masks during transit to limit the transmission of COVID-19; passengers will be fine between $250 and $1500 (USD) if in breach of these new measures on aircraft and other forms of public transportation such as trains and buses. Exempted from the requirement are children under two years old and people with a disability or medical exemption. The mask mandate is effective until at least 11 May.

The cross-channel rail provider has announced that customers can get a COVID-19 PCR test at London's St. Pancras International; the test costs £149 with results available the next day between 17.00 and 23.59 (local time), and passengers should book their test in advance but no more than 72 hours prior to departure. Although the testing initiative is in partnership with Eurostar, it is being operated by London Medical Laboratory - a third party provider.

A number of European countries have opted to suspend flights to and from the UK with immediate effect, following developments in the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of England. Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria have thus far confirmed the cancellation of flights, and further nations could follow, as reports suggest that Germany and France are currently considering a similar move. Eurostar has also announced that no train services will operate between London, Brussels and Amsterdam on 21 December, with further suspensions beyond that date possible.